Update: Jewel emailed a response today 2/9: “After reviewing the issues you described, we recognize that in some situations we have potential offer collisions occurring at JEWEL-OSCO. This is an issue we’re working to resolve quickly and permanently, and we appreciate you bringing it to our attention.”
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A number of you have been commenting about issues with Jewel’s registers and coupons lately. Jill Cataldo has a great post up with some receipts illustrating some of the issues that you might want to take a look at, but here’s what you need to be aware of:
- On a buy one get one free sale, Jewel’s policy still allows for the use of two manufacturer coupons, one on each item. Unfortunately, their registers are still automatically reducing the value of your second coupon to $0.00. This has been happening since they switched registers last summer, so you should be aware and ask your cashier to adjust your coupon value manually.
- The same issue applies with overage. Their July 2012 coupon policy allows for overage, or for a coupon that’s over the value of an item to scan in at full value, the “overage” there applying towards other items in your order. Well, the registers helpfully automatically reduce the value of your coupon to the value of the item, meaning that you don’t get your overage unless you argue for it. Many cashiers are unaware that Jewel now allows overage, so be prepared with a copy of the policy or be prepared to talk to customer service.
- On a buy one get one free sale where you have a coupon for “X cents off two items,” the registers are sometimes reducing the value of the coupon by half. Essentially, they are attaching half the value of the coupon to one item, and half to the “free” item, and ringing the half they choose to attach to the “free” item up as: $0.00. We saw this most recently with the Orville Redenbacher $.75/2 coupons on last week’s buy one get one free sale, which many of you mentioned rang up at $.38 off rather than the full $.75 off you were entitled to receive. Again, watch for this and be sure to mention it to your cashier so that they can enter the value manually.
- On an instant savings deal, such as last week’s “buy five participating General Mills items, get them for $1.88 each” sale. When you load e-coupons onto your card from the Jewel site, and then use them on items that are on an instant savings deal, it reduces the amount of instant savings you get. The registers automatically negate the e-coupon, and just make the price after instant + e-coupon that same $1.88, so you basically get nothing for your coupon. This was happening to some of you on another GM instant savings deal a while back, and I was informed it was fixed, but unfortunately: not. There’s not much you can do here, since it’s convoluted and most Jewel staff at the store level don’t seem to know that they even have these new e-coupons available.
- Some store coupons have automatically been scanning in at $0.00 rather than their face value — but don’t beep, so you won’t realize this unless you are watching the register or check your receipt later. Jill mentions this happening with some of the “great value” coupons on the Jewel site a while back — but I’ve also had it happen with Catalinas and with other store printables. Watch when they scan a store coupon to make sure your total actually goes down. If not, they’ll have to enter the value manually.
Phew. So there’s your heads up for the day: Basically, watch the registers, know your policy, and be prepared to stand up for your coupons.
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I hardly shop at Jewel anymore, but these are the same problems I started encountering at Meijer when they switched over their registers. Meijer solves the problem by just aligning their coupon policy with the way the registers ring up the coupons, for points 1 and 2 above. I know that at Meijer it is such a pain to get the issue in #3 resolved (finish transaction, go to customer service, argue with customer service worker, ask to speak to manager, finally get your $0.37) that I just try not to use $x/2 qs on BOGO sales.
Hopefully, it will be easier at Jewel.
Target had similar issues awhile back where they set their registers to be ‘smart’ and attempt to reduce coupon values to prevent overage. They were raked over the coals for all the malfunctions. It was in the papers and news, etc… It is strange that there is not a smiliar reaction for the Jewel issues, which seem worse than what happened at Target.
Ah yes, the reason I do not go to Jewel: The constant arguing with the cashiers and the store went to was just soooo unhelpful.
I dont shop much at jewel anymore, everytime you use coupons there is always a problem .I shopped there for years but not doing it anymore i will spend my money at other stores !
Just had the overage issue tonight on Glade holders. They had them on clearance for .74, the coupon was for $1.00 and although I was able to produce the store policy and they did adjust it the lady treated me like I was trying to pull a fast one. I got back a $3.00 Catalina on this to boot. She informed the register operator to hold the coupons and I can only presume she intends to call her office about this looking to bust me. Frankly this many moons after the policy has been in place I would be embarrassed if I were her to have to call the home office. I would imagine that the service desk people are the more knowledgeable ones and when the leader of the pack is clueless it just shows you how informed the cashiers are. This is why it is so pleasant to shop there. You have to fight for what is in the policy and overspend on the groceries. Whats not to love and make you want to shop there?
I have also noticed that the new lower prices are starting to creep up.
I agree
they have raised the prices on their “new low prices”
I have had this problem in the past at South Loop Jewel and those cashiers are pretty mean about it. Cust Svc usu helps but we’ve stopped shopping there almost entirely. Could not deal with their attitude. Esp when you try to explain to them their own policies. It’s just one argument after the other.
Jewel in Bolingbrook would not give overage (it’s like we pay you to shop and we will be out of business), would not give credits for BOGO free (we cannot give you money for not paying for the item), would not adjust $0 (did not buy the correct item). The total of purchase scanned and took off after they scanned MQ (you did not spend enough to qualify for the discount). They now told me this Jewel would not allow NWPQ coupons to comply with governmenet regulations, even thought the coupon state no wine purchase required. Custumer service told me all these rules after the cashiers asked them. I showed them my printed policy but they did not want to look at it. They have their own binder on the desk but they would not bother to open it to read. I still shop at Jewel for non coupon items but have spent a lot less here and more at other stores.
Someone needs to contact these manufacturers who are reimbursing Jewel for more than they credited customers for their products. They’re stealing from the mfg., and the customer.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Isn’t Jewel committing coupon fraud?
I have a feeling by them fixing the situationits not going to be in our favor. If its taken this long they may think “itll be cheaper to change the policy to the registers” Im hoping this is not the case.
I did the Orville Redenbacher three times. After having the coupon adjust down to 38c the first two times, I remembered to hand her that q seperately and watched closely as it went through. It scanned at 75c … I assumed they had fixed the problem … but when I looked at my receipt when I got home: SURE ENOUGH … it had adjusted down to 38c again. I can only assume the adjustment happened when they were totaling out the sale, because the cashier and I both watched it scan correctly.